Opening the night at the Mash House, it was almost impossible to believe supporting act Goodnight Louisa as they confessed that this was in fact their debut gig. The duo certainly sparked with energy in the room, with silky vocals delivering dream-like lyrics. The witchy and romantic croons of one half of Goodnight Louisa were punctuated fluently by the percussive talents of the other. Transforming the Mash House into some form of ethereal place of worship, they were rewarded with remarkable enthusiasm from their crowd.
As the main act HYYTS began their set, vocalist Adam’s ability to work the stage with his natural charisma became increasingly evident. His remarkable vocals showcase unmistakable talent. Emerging onto the stage sporting a kimono, it seemed there was an instant chemistry between himself and the crowd; especially his engagement in an exchange of enthusiastic “hiya’s” with the front row.
The modestly-sized Mash House felt like an inappropriate choice to stage such a personality. The self-proclaimed pop band have a talent for crafting tunes which, despite an immersive level of lyrical depth, equally have a habit of getting themselves firmly rooted in your head.
Rather unconventionally, the pair treated their audience to a cover of Shania Twain’s classic ‘You’re Still the One,’ which sounded impressively refreshing in their pop-synth style. Absolutely fundamental to this distinct sound of HYYTS is Sam, humbly sustaining the rhythm and melody with an obvious talent. Their upcoming single ‘Car Crash Carnivore’ was next on the set, an animating and undeniably pop-ish tune; a true indicator of their hit-making capabilities.
“How do yous even know the words?” Adam seemed somewhat taken aback to find the Mash House come alive to the sound of ‘DWY,’ one of their most popular released tracks. Smiling ear to ear, HYYTS slipped into the acoustic track, and as Adam commanded us all to turn to someone we love and hold them, the crowd recited the song back to him like a hymn.
Their modesty became part of their charm, as Adam appeared moved by the reaction of the crowd.
Closing the set was ‘Bullets,’ a tune which would not look out of place topping the charts. A swooning marriage of honey-like vocals and a killer rhythm, it became almost impossible to resist the urge to dance. The song brought to a close an electrifying set, and demonstrated to the crowd that HYYTS are not one to sleep on, with an energy which looks to propel them to great heights.
Image: Erin May Kelly